Why is my dog herding my other dog?

Herding behavior towards other animals is common in canines, especially those of a working breed. This can be caused by their instinct to protect their pack. Dogs also do this because of a lack of stimulation and socialization. It can also be playful behavior or just trying to get your attention.

Why do dogs have herding instincts?

Dogs have been our loyal companions for thousands of years. Research suggests we’ve worked with dogs for about 11,000 to 16,000 years.

This means that having dogs as part of our daily lives predates agriculture. When our ancestors mainly hunted for food, the domestication of canines had already happened.

After years of selectively breeding dogs, we’ve found the perfect companions in our day-to-day activities. This resulted in certain dog breeds being predisposed to herd animals and protecting them from harm.

Examples of these breeds include:

• Briards.
• Border Collies.
• Berger Picards.
• German Shepherds.
• Cardigan Welsh Corgis.

If you own one of these, you’re bound to get herding behavior from them even if they’re not working in the field. We’ll discuss some of the reasons why.

Lack of stimulation

As mentioned earlier, there are dog breeds that were selectively bred to protect herds and other animals.

When these dogs don’t get the proper stimulation and enough physical activity, they spend their extra energy doing what they’re meant to - herd others.

To aid this, some dog owners give their furry friends toys and puzzles to help stimulate their minds. This can also help lessen the chances of your dog having zoomies inside your home, which is helpful, especially if you have a small space.

You can also go the classic way of exercising your dogs and go for a walk for about an hour every day.

Poor socialization

Another reason why dogs herd your other pets is because they’re not properly socialized.

If your pup hasn’t been properly exposed to other animals and humans, they might be unable to pick on social cues properly. Instead of responding to a play cue from other dogs, they’d just try to herd them.

To avoid this, you need to socialize your pups at an early age. Take them on walks to places with other humans and pets. Examples of these places would be:

• Parks.
• Beaches.
• Pet-friendly shops.

Learning how to interact with others has a huge positive impact on a dog’s overall development.

Being playful

Dogs can joke around and have fun, too!

If your pup is trying to get your attention or that of your other pets, they might try to nudge them, which might look like they’re herding them.

They could even try to herd you just to get your attention and have you play with them. It might be the only way the effectively gets you to give them any attention or play around with them, which is why they constantly do it to you.